


An Extra Chair

by zebraljb



Category: Kingsman (Movies)
Genre: Family Dinners, Family Fluff, Future Fic, M/M, Parenthood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-22
Updated: 2019-11-22
Packaged: 2021-02-24 16:42:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,816
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21521314
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zebraljb/pseuds/zebraljb
Summary: It's Merlin's 78th birthday and their children and grandchildren are coming for dinner...with a few surprise guests.
Relationships: Merlin/Gary "Eggsy" Unwin
Comments: 21
Kudos: 103





	An Extra Chair

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Eggsyobsessed](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eggsyobsessed/gifts).



> Eggsyobsessed asked for grandparent Merwin family fluff. :)

AN EXTRA CHAIR

“Eggsy, ye counted wrong.” Merlin stands at the end of the dining room table and points at chairs. “There are two extra.”

“No, there aren’t.” Eggsy gets the dishes from the china closet. “Sam might put Mallory in the booster.”

“Mallory is fourteen months old, lad, I doubt she’ll be sitting in a booster.”

“And I’m in my fifties, no longer a lad.”

“Ye will always be a lad to me.” Merlin kisses his husband, who grins up at him.

“I love you, you sappy old man. The other chair is Harry’s chair…you know that.”

“Eggsy.” Merlin sighs as he watches the younger man set the table. “Ye know that Harry…”

“He always gets a chair,” Eggsy says stubbornly. “Miss me with that shite.”

“Very well. We have the room.” The doorbell rings and Merlin’s face lights up. “That will be Donovan.”

“Swear you love that kid more than you love me,” Eggsy grumbles as he fishes the forks out of the silverware basket. 

“Hardly,” Merlin snorts. He makes his way to the front door and throws it open. “Samantha!”

“Happy birthday, Da.” His beautiful daughter gives him a hug and a kiss.

“Thank you, dear girl, but where is my little jewel?” Merlin reaches around his daughter. “Hello, Eric.”

“Happy birthday, Hamish,” his son-in-law says. “Here she is, she’s been asking for you the entire ride over.”

“Papa Papa Papa!” The toddler shrieks, throwing herself toward Merlin. He easily catches her and kisses her cheek. 

“Yes, my love, Papa has you. How is my little one?” Merlin carries her away from her parents, inhaling her baby scent and cuddling her close. He’d initially been quite unhappy that his daughter had married at such a young age, just out of university, but the moment he’d laid eyes on his granddaughter ten months later he’d forgotten all about his unhappiness. Mallory was the sunshine of his life and he decided if he died that day, at the age of seventy-eight, it would be all right because he’d lived to see the child who giggled so eagerly in his arms.

“Egg!” Mallory shrieks, wriggling in his arms. Merlin puts her down and she runs to her other grandfather. 

“Hello, Princess.” Eggsy hugs and kisses her, easily scooping her up and handing her a spoon. “Help me, please.” Mallory promptly smacks him on the head with the spoon.

Merlin sees his husband trying not to swear and quickly makes his exit. He finds Samantha and Eric in the kitchen unwrapping pies and preparing Mallory’s cup and plate. “I dinnae expect ye here first. I know how difficult it is to leave the house on time with a wee one.”

“We had the bag packed this time,” Eric says. “Back up stuffies and three extra outfits.”

“Aye, ye are learning, lad.” Merlin beams at him.

“It’s nice to beat Donovan at something for once,” Samantha says, digging through the refrigerator.

Merlin rolls his eyes. “Aren’t ye far too old to be so competitive with your brother?”

“No!”

“Ye came into the world ahead of him, that should be good enough.”

“It should.” Samantha emerges with the milk. “But it isn’t.” She gives Merlin Eggsy’s cheeky grin and finishes preparing her daughter’s food.

Merlin shakes his head fondly. They’d both provided sperm for the surrogates but did not know who was the actual biological father of each of their children. He often sees Eggsy in Samantha’s eyes and smile, however, and Donovan is quiet and meticulous like him. “Your Da worked hard cooking today,” he tells her. “Make sure and compliment him.”

“Definitely,” Eric pipes up. “Eggsy’s cooking is amazing.”

“He doesn’t see as well as he once did, and when he reads the recipe cards…” Merlin raises his voice and gives them a wink.

“Oi, I heard that! I read just fine.” Eggsy appears out of nowhere with Mallory on his shoulders.

“Come along, love, time to wash hands,” Samantha says, reaching for her daughter.

“Papa!” Mallory whines, leaning toward Merlin.

“I will wash the lass.” Merlin takes her and heads for the sink.

Samantha follows him. “How’s everything going, Da?”

“Good. Your father’s knees pain him, but he’s been good about his exercises and the medicine. I had a cardiology appointment two days ago and everything’s in working order.”

“That’s what I want to hear.” She kisses his cheek and heads out to the dining room. “Dad? Too many chairs.”

“Why do you all think I can’t count?” Eggsy asks, following her. “I just put one extra…the other is Harry’s chair.”

“Dad,” Samantha says sadly. Merlin brings Mallory to the table and hands her to her mother. 

“He always gets a chair,” Eggsy says, tipping his chin up a bit. “Harry sits there. Even when…even when he can’t.”

“Leannan.” Merlin presses himself to Eggsy’s back and kisses his head. “I hope that idiot realized how much you love him.”

They hear the front door open. “Something smells good in here!” A male voice announces. “Got enough for three fit gents?”

“No!” Samantha yells. “Go away.”

“Brat,” Eggsy mumbles, pulling at a lock of her hair as he goes by. Merlin follows close on his heels and they stop in surprise as they enter the front hall.

A young man they don’t know is standing shyly by the front door as Donovan helps an older man out of his coat. “Hey, Dad…Da.”

“Hello, son,” Merlin says. He looks at the older man. “Hello, Harry. What a lovely surprise.”

“When Donovan stopped by the house and told me Eggsy was cooking, I made a point of inviting myself along. I know it isn’t polite, but…” Harry looks a bit alarmed, running a hand over his shining white hair.

“Ya never gotta invite yerself here, bruv,” Eggsy says, the old cadence falling back into his speech after decades away from the estates. “You got an open invitation.”

“Hello, my boy.” Harry gives him a warm hug. “You look handsome, as always.”

“Course…take after you, don’t I? Come on, bet Mallory would like to see you.”

“She’s just a baby, Eggsy, she doesn’t know me.”

“Course she does,” Eggsy says gently, taking Harry’s elbow. “Knows your name and everything, I bet.”

“HAWWY!” Mallory shrieks as they enter the dining room.

Merlin looks at Donovan. “Everything all right?”

“Yes. Piper said he’s been having a good day…real good week, actually. I think she was happy to have a few hours to herself. I know she loves her job, but I’m thinking that looking after Harry is probably turning HER hair grey.” Donovan grins and Merlin does as well. Piper is Harry’s live-in companion, and he keeps her on her toes. Once his memory started fading and he'd fallen a few times, Merlin and Eggsy spoke with him and convinced him to hire permanent help. That way he could still be partially independent and continue to live in his little house. 

“And is this Harry’s date?” Merlin looks at the man standing next to his son.

“No.” Donovan stands a bit straighter, putting his arm around the man’s waist. “He’s my date. “Da, this is Tyler.”

“Tyler.” Merlin looks him over and finally puts out his hand. “Hamish McNair, but everyone calls me Merlin.”

“Donovan told me,” Tyler says shyly. 

“Tyler lives two floors down from me,” Donovan says. “We literally ran into each other going through the door one day, like one of those ridiculous rom-coms.”

“Your son helped me pick up my things, apologized profusely, and offered to buy me coffee as an apology.”

“He gets those slick moves from me,” Eggsy says with a grin, sauntering into the room. “Eggsy McNair.”

“Hello, Mr. McNair.”

“Eggsy, I said,” Eggsy tells him. “Go ahead in and take a seat, I’ll bring the food in.” He shoos them into the dining room.

“Ye knew about this,” Merlin says. “Ye knew about this Tyler person and invited him to dinner!” His voice rises and Eggsy slaps a hand over his mouth.

“Will you shut up?” Eggsy hisses. He drags Merlin into the kitchen to the mud room by the back door. “Yes and no. I knew about Tyler, because Donovan has been going on and on about him for over a fortnight. I get texts. I get emails. I’ve gotten three very frantic phone calls…and one dreamy and sated phone call after they had sex for the first time.”

“Bloody hell,” Merlin groans, leaning his head against the back door. “Our boy is having sex. He’s still a child!”

“He’s the same age I was when I fucked a princess in the arse,” Eggsy reminds him.

“Really? Was it necessary to point that out?” Merlin keeps his head against the door. “He barely even knows this boy.”

“Hamish, c’mon…you don’t care that he’s dating someone or having sex…because you want him to be happy and you know he’ll wrap it up. Or have Tyler wrap it up, haven’t put my finger on what position Donovan likes,” Eggsy says with an exaggerated look on his face. 

“Ye are just trying to rile me up with that talk.”

“And I didn’t invite him. Donovan finally asked me if he could come along tonight. He’s been wanting to introduce us…and tell you…but he’s been afraid of your reaction. Wonder why?”

“I am…”

“You were nowhere NEAR this freaked out when Samantha brought home her first boyfriend…or even when she brought Eric home for the first time.”

“I was very freaked out. I gave the first boyfriend a box of condoms.”

“And that was the reason she only had one date with that guy,” Eggsy reminds him. “Donovan is your favorite and you worry about him. And don’t you DARE say you don’t have a favorite child, because you know you do. You love Sammy with your entire soul, but you see so much of yourself in Donovan that you can’t help but favor him.”

“Since when are you the smart one?”

“Since I was smart enough to realize I loved your skinny-legged self.” Eggsy pulls him away from the wall to kiss him. “Now get in there and be nice to your son’s boyfriend. And for the love of God, please sit next to Mallory so she eats.”

“I AM a sort of Baby Whisperer,” Merlin says with a pleased grin. “I love ye, husband. I dinnae tell you enough.”

“Oh, you tell me enough…but it’s always nice to hear it.” Eggsy steals one more kiss and ambles into the dining room. “Harry! You saved me a seat!”

“Of course, dear boy…you know I prefer you over everyone else in this family.”

“Oi!” Merlin hears Samantha exclaim, as his son adds, “That’s harsh, Uncle Harry.”

Merlin smiles and makes his way into the dining room to spend his birthday with his family.


End file.
